The following guidelines are provided to assist students in the process of obtaining appropriate documentation that substantiates eligibility for services and provides suggestions for reasonable accommodations and/or auxiliary aids.

The documentation should be current, and must include the following:

1. An evaluation conducted by an appropriate specialist (e.g., psychologist, psychiatrist, rehabilitation medicine, neurologist, ophthalmologist, orthopedic surgeon, rheumatologist, audiologist, etc.) who has training and experience in the assessment and diagnosis of the student's disability. The report must include the evaluator's name, title, credentials, license number, signature and date of evaluation on letterhead.

2. A clear and credible DSM-IV-TR or ICD-9 diagnosis, including a description of the diagnostic criteria.

3. Confirmatory evidence from the appropriate test(s) used to diagnose the disabling condition (e.g., x-ray or neuroimaging studies, psychological testing, etc.).

4. Detailed information about the specific nature of the student's current limitations and how these limitations might affect the student's daily life in the college environment (e.g., learning, testing and living).

5. A description of the expected progression or stability of the disability over time and ways in which functioning might be impacted.

6. Information about medications (dosage and existing side-effects), assistive devices/services and other treatments currently prescribed or in use that are likely to impact the student's functioning.

7. For disabilities in which a change in functioning is likely within one year of the evaluation, include the time period for which the accommodations are being recommended (generally no longer than one year without re-certification of need).

8. Recommendations for academic and/or housing accommodations, adaptive devices, assistive services and strategies to compensate for the functional limitations, accompanied by an objective rationale.